


Red Diamond

by CoffeeArtist



Category: Brothers Conflict
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Betrayal, Blood, Brothers, Character Death, Comfort Reading, Crying, Death, Drama & Romance, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Humor, I Don't Even Know, I Made Myself Cry, If you only read one work by me, Kissing, Laughter, Lies, Must Read, Never Be The Same, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Romance, Slow Romance, Surprise Kissing, Temporary Character Death, asahina - Freeform, asahina natsume - Freeform, asahina tsubaki - Freeform, asahina yuusuke - Freeform, brothers conflict - Freeform, red diamond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-17 04:35:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15453480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeArtist/pseuds/CoffeeArtist
Summary: "No second chances in the land of a thousand dances, the valley of ten million insanities." Sabrina's life takes a 180 degree turn when she loses her family and gets adopted into the Asahina clan. Love blossoms, spiced with even more humor and drama, but some deeds cannot always stay buried in the shadows of the past. What happens when truth unfolds? Is blood thicker than water?





	1. Chapter 1

Intro:  
Do pigeons have feelings too? Is black a color? Why is tomato a fruit and not a vegetable? To these silly queries, I don’t think you’re going to find an answer here, but you sure can have a rom-com drama tale with me.  
I'm here for the intro, and you would sure be interested in knowing that I'm a vampire in reality, who drinks blood and sleeps in coffins, and who is aiming to establish a vampire society with zombie dogs and cats, and monkeys who drink elephants' blood. I have this background theme of the darkest violin tune behind me all the time.

Sorry, just joking. I'm Sabrina, a nobody who aims to be a successful choreographer in Bollywood, with zero love life and in search of adventure. But according to my most recent situation, I should say – Hi, I'm Sabrina, an aspiring dancer, who is now the love interest of her step brothers; and of course, leading a pretty adventurous life.

Wanna know my story? Continue reading the story of my little life. And yeah, before you go...  
...Vive la vida mientras todavía puedes...

O~O~O

Yawning, I opened the curtains of my window. The sun shone brighter, the music sounded sweeter, and the world seemed a happier place. The air around me was refreshing – I felt cool even in the infamous summer of Delhi. All because my parents were going to bring my baby brother, Arnav, back from his boarding school tonight.

I was excited; excited enough to bang my head on the wall and laugh like a maniac. I hadn’t seen him in months, and it was finally the day of his homecoming, for he wasn’t going back there to the boarding school again. 

I lazily stretched my arms and leaned on to the ebony window sill, watching nothing but the usual hustle and bustle in the streets of Delhi, the view from my bedroom window. 

So, what should you do to make that ten year old happy? Make for him a double cheese pizza for dinner? Or decorate his room with the posters of his favorite heroes and cartoon characters? I thought as I took a shower and dressed up in white t-shirt and denim jeans. I decided to execute both the ideas, and buy him a present as well. 

Let’s get to work, then!

I entered the kitchen and saw my mother making coffee for my father and her. “One cup for me too.” I ordered, and she immediately refused to do that.  
“Not for you, my dear. You are restricted from drinking coffee.” She declared and I pouted. 

“But why? You know I can’t live without it, don’t you?” I pleaded.

“Back at it again?” My father too, came in the kitchen with a newspaper in one hand, and rubbed his temples with the other, “Another typical day in our house. Sabrina begging for coffee.”

“Oh c’mon papa!” I snatched his newspaper and placed it aside. Then I held his hand with both my hands and with puppy eyes, I looked directly into his eyes and said, “Am I not my papa’s obedient, pretty little girl?” 

Emotional drama always seemed to work on him, but at the last moment mom interrupted, “So my dear ‘papa’s obedient, pretty little girl’, which grade did you get in the last science exam? Didn’t you tell him?” Papa had a questioning look on his face.

It’s time to vanish, Sabrina.

I left his hands and averted my eyes, “Umm... I have to go bring a gift for Arnav...” 

Papa was about to say something when his phone rang. He looked at the screen with an unpleased look and muttered, “It’s him again.” I believed this him by whom my father looked so annoyed must be one of his clients. He dealt with the business of importing and exporting goods, and it was nothing new to see that scowl on his face when some annoying client of his called up – he received hundreds of called every day. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve smashed my phone in less than a day.  
But he had a few wonderful clients, like the Japanese lady Miwa Asahina. She was a super creative fashion-designer, whose designs I loved. The clothes designed by her from her company, The Asahina, reached India through my dad’s company. She was a good family friend by now, and often visited our house. She was a friendly, pretty woman, and I could talk about anything with her without hesitating. I once nearly fainted when she asked me about my relationships and crushes. Just to make it all clear – I have never ever been in a relationship and I have no plans to be in one. 

Wondering how we could communicate? I mean, she was Japanese and I was an Indian so language differences? My dad knew how to communicate in about eight different languages, and he taught me how to do that. So, I knew how to speak Japanese, and French, German, Spanish, Chinese, and of course, Punjabi, English, and Hindi. 

Even Miwa ma’am knew how to speak English. 

I sat on my bike and went to bring a gift for Arnav and the material required to decorate his room.

O~O~O

Well, I did not go with my parents to pick Arnav from his boarding school, since I had a lot of work on plate. 

“It’s all done!” I muttered before glancing one last time at my brother’s room. Posters of Ben 10, Superman, and many more weird characters, and his favorite cricketers were stuck on his wall. Above his bed frame was a large photo frame, in which I made a collage of his photos of his growing years. And on his bed sat a huge gift I bought for him. I hope he likes it! On the dinner front, pizza was ready, along with spaghetti and Coke. My parents had left just a few minutes ago. So, it would probably take them whole two hours to bring him back. Can’t these two hours pass away quickly!  
But I thanked God that I had time to dress up, since I looked like a snob, covered in sweat, my hair up in a messy bun, and jeans rolled to my knees. At least the effort was worth it!

I had a shower, and dressed up in a simple knee-length white summer dress, my hair left open, and for formality accessorizing, two little white tops in the shape of diamonds. I had nothing to do but just wait, so I decided to turn on my laptop and check Skype. It was flooded with messages from the members of my dance troupe, and Yuusuke – my Japanese friend. 

We accidentally became friends online, because Yuusuke had a weird username (something like ‘Swagger’ or what), and I was searching for another friend with almost same username. We often video chatted, and were very good friends. I clicked on his username.

Yuusuke: Hey! Where have you been? My video chat requests failed. 

I texted him back: Sorry man, my web cam isn’t working. We’ve gotta chat like this for a while.

He instantly texted back: Hey hi! That’s ok.

I was kind of surprised that he was still online. Wasn’t it supposed to be late night in Japan?

Me: You know what? My brother’s coming back from his boarding school today! He’s on his by now, probably.

Yuusuke: Excited, aren’t you?

Me: Of course! So, what’s going on?

Yuusuke: Was about to study math... again. 

Me: Aww! Poor you! LOL!

Yuusuke: Hey you can’t laugh like that!

Me: Oooohhh I can! Don’t act like you’re someone’s girl huh!

He didn’t text back for a moment. I knew why. He was shy and would be blushing. I giggled at the thought and texted: Sorry man, I just went with the flow.  
Yuusuke: You don’t need to. By the way, I umm

Me: You what?

Yuusuke: I need to say something

Me: Something serious?

Yuusuke: Kinda...

Me: Okay, carry on

Yuusuke was texting, and right at that moment my phone rang. It was from mom. I tuned off my laptop and picked it up, and was greeted with a chirpy voice shouting in my ear, “Helloooo!” 

“Arnav! Is it seriously you?!” 

“Yes! Did you miss me?” 

“Of course I did, idiot. How... Just how are you now?” His call came unexpectedly and I was overwhelmed to say anything that made sense. I was controlling was myself from squealing in joy and tried hard to act like a seventeen year old. 

“Of course I am fine, idiot.” He copied my words and I heard a faint voice of mom saying, “Language, Arnav”. I giggled.  
“Where are you guys now by the way?”

“Crossing Delhi Cant. Did you download the latest animated movies?”

“Yes yes, I did. I couldn’t forget that, could I?” 

“Hey I- ahhh!“ I suddenly heard loud screams from the other end, and then a loud crash. The phone automatically disconnected. The smile from my face faded away, and was replaced by an expression of utter shock. What happened?

I tried calling them again a few times to no success, so I rushed towards the door with terrible thoughts in my mind. Were they safe? Did anything happen to them? What was that loud bang? 

I rode on my bike, and sped through the roads of Delhi, with thoughts of something happening to them crossing my head. I tried to shrug them all off, but it was difficult to do so, when I heard that scream. Yes, something had happened. 

But I had to reach them as fast as I could. He said Delhi Cant. They should probably be somewhere around there. Hurry up! I was panicking to the extent that my hands were shaking on the handles of the bike. No, nothing could happen to my family.

I won’t let anything happen to them.


	2. Chapter 2

(Same time, In Japan, Sunrise Residence)

Yuusuke's POV

I was supposed to be sleeping, but was pulling off my bravest stunt ever.

I was about to confess my love to the most beautiful, the most unique girl I knew. I inhaled and exhaled, building up courage to confess. Although, I was not face-to-face with her, I was still nervous. How would she react? What if she rejects me? Ugh, it was damn frustrating! I don't know how guys flirt with girls – example being my older brother Kaname. I was already a blushing mess.

Oh no Yuusuke, say it.

I began typing the words – 'I love you, Sabrina'. I was about to hit 'send' when all of a sudden, she went offline. What happened?

I erased it all and wrote: Are you there?

No response.

I waited for a couple of minutes, but I still didn't receive any response. Maybe her brother reached. I turned off my computer and went to sleep, sighing. I was so close! I was about to say it all!

Ugh! Never mind.

O~O~O

Sabrina's POV

I reached Delhi Cant, and was greeted by a huge crowd, looking at each other's faces in distress and gawking at something around which they had gathered. I left my bike and walked over to the crowd, slowly. I didn't want it all to be what I thought it would be. I had to make myself know what I was thinking was wrong. My thoughts sure could go wild, but I couldn't afford to even believe something like that. Nothing has happened. Nothing has happened to them. Sabrina. Don't worry, they are safe. They are-

I got through the crowd to the centre only to face my worst fears.

There was my dad's car, completely ruined. The side opposite to the driver's seat was crashed. There was where my mother sat. I hastily opened the door of the car, driver's seat, and the scene inside was horrendous. Everyone in the car was bleeding. There was a shallow pool of blood inside the car already. I gently took my dad's hand and tried to shake him. I called out their names in panic, my heart beating out of my chest, my head on verge of spinning.

"Papa! Mom! A-Arnav!" I screamed. I begged for a response. My mother and baby brother lay dead in my arms. Dad was still breathing. I could still save him.

"Help! Help please!" I shouted at the crowd hovering about the car. One of them called the ambulance, and another one, police. Luckily, the hospital wasn't that faraway, so the ambulance reached in five minutes. They took all the three with them, while I followed from behind on my bike.

My eyes were hazy with tears. I couldn't lose my family; they were all I had. The sole thought of them dying frightened me. I was covered in their blood – my hands, clothes, and legs. I felt nauseated with the metallic smell, possibly feeling the taste of blood in my mouth by default, but the fact didn't matter to me much at that time, and I tried to ignore everything else going through my mind. I just had to see my family in their senses again.

When we reached the hospital, they were carried into ICUs, and I was left in the dark, gloomy lobby of the hospital, waiting for a positive news.

O~O~O

Two hours had passed. I was waiting with my head hung the entire time, occasionally letting tears fall. Millions of negative thoughts passed through my mind, making me wonder that I could even hold the power to think about such scenarios, but I kept pushing them to the back of my head, still hopeful.

I heard footsteps coming towards me. I looked up to see the two doctors who were operating my parents walking towards me with an expression full of dismay. Please God, no.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Kapoor, we couldn't save your parents. Your brother was brought dead on arrival." One of them said, lowering his eyes down to the floor.

I was shattered – I could just feel myself crumbling down. My heart exploded into pieces. It had to be some stupid nightmare I had to snap out of. I pinched myself hard a few times, then finally let out a whimper and fell down to knees, unable to stop the tears from cascading down.

"I feel really sorry for you, Ms. Kapoor. But we tried our best. Please fill up this form." The other one handed me a couple of sheets along with a pen. I wiped away my tears, and tried to recompose myself. Don't break down. Please.

I filled up that sheet for formality, and informed the life insurance company for the amount. The doctors lead me to the room where they kept the dead bodies. My family's ... corpses lay on different stretchers, their whole body covered with long, white bed sheets. I took my mother's hand from underneath her sheet in one of my hands, my father's hand in the other, kissed their hands, and whispered, "I love you..." followed by some more tears streaming down my face. "No, papa, your girl won't cry." I wiped them off, remembering the time when I was child and I broke my leg. He told me to be brave and to not cry, and to be the strong girl I was. I couldn't let him down at any costs.

Watching them lying there, lifeless, was the worst scenario, my worst fear. I walked over to Arnav's corpse, and removed the sheet from his face. He looked pale, skin was as cold. His face was expressionless, opposite to how he always was - cheerful. I kissed him on his cheek. "Goodbye" I whispered, and covered his face again. I made sure to not let a tear fall, but my hands did tremble. God, was there no way out of the nightmare?!

I ordered the doctors to send an ambulance with their bodies to my residence for the further rituals.

O~O~O

The sound of the ambulance's siren entering my society woke up a few of my neighbors from their sleep. It was around 12 midnight. They looked out of their windows, and were visible enough for me to see them. One by one, lights turned on in different flats, and people came out of their houses in their night wears. I sighed.

The old lady who lived right across my flat came to me and asked, "What happened? What happened to your clothes?" She began wiping my blood-covered arms with her handkerchief. I didn't reply.

Soon enough, she got her answers when the corpses were brought out from the ambulance. She gasped and put a hand on her mouth. So did the others who were watching from their houses, and their heads hung.

My dance troupe members, who lived in the same society, came running down to me, only to give me comfort. One of them, Priyanka, called my uncle and my grandparents to tell them about the unfortunate accident. I had no expression on my face. Nor did a single tear leave my eyes.

I looked at Arnav's corpse. Who could imagine that it would take him so long to reach home?

O~O~O

It was five in the morning. My whole family, including the relatives whose names I didn't even know reached my house and was mourning over the loss. The sound of cries filled the room. Everyone was crying – wailing, to be exact.

Everyone but me.

I knew very well that whoever takes a birth has to die one day. But I didn't expect that the day for my family would be so close. I was sitting in a corner of the room, and had a family photo in my hands. I didn't look at their lifeless, cold bodies, but at the photograph, so I could remember the good times.

It was a very old photograph, when I was around ten years old and Arnav was just three. In the photo, mom was holding little Arnav in her arms and beside her sat dad. I was standing a step behind them, smiling like an idiot; while dad had his face slightly titled towards me, and was laughing, and mom was looking lovingly at Arnav. Of course, my lazy brother was asleep, even in the picture.

I smiled a little, looking at their faces, wishing if I could see them again, or even hear their sweet voices.

Come back...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna get better, just hold on a for a bit longer, please?? :)

Sabrina's POV

I saw their bodies being enveloped by flames. They were turning to ashes, thanks to this ritual we had. I was the only woman in the cremation ground, since ladies weren't allowed to come there. But I had to, since I was the only child of my parents left. And, I was the one who set fire to their bodies. Again, rituals.

The fire blazed in front of me, producing huge clouds of smoke. "We will be a family. We will be together, forever. May your souls rest in peace" I whispered in an inaudible voice.

Home. That's what family is. That sense of belonging you get just by their presence – the one which brings you out from the deepest pits of despair – is so underappreciated. It's always taken for granted, everywhere, but they don't realize the value of this gift until they're gone. And just like that, my home was ripped apart from me.

Everyone left soon, but me. I was staring at the sky, with some of my father's ashes in my hand. I looked back at my hand. I soon let the ashes fall to the ground, and collected each of theirs in different golden-colored caskets, and covered them with red silk cloth, as it was part of our rituals. These little caskets had to be dropped in some holy river which was in some other state. My uncle had to perform this ritual.

I carried the caskets to my uncle. He was my father's first cousin, and pretty rich, if I had to describe him.

"The police informed me that it was a case of drunk driving. The car was hit by a truck whose driver was drunk." He informed me.

"Where is that driver now?" I asked him. He shrugged before he answered, "He is also dead."

"Oh" I said, and walked off. He died such an easy death; good for him. If he would've been alive, I would've ripped his limbs apart. The fire couldn't calm down. Never.

O~O~O

Three months had passed since that accident. Three months since my life completely changed. Three months since I became an orphan.

I lived alone. Nothing much had changed; I attended school, made and cooked food.

But on second thoughts, yes, my life had changed a lot. I was no more the cheerful, bubbly girl I used to be. I didn't smile quite often, and had glassy eyes always. And I had stopped dancing.

My friends told me to get a life, but I simply distanced myself from most of them. They didn't know the agony I had suffered. They couldn't chart the blue section of hell I had been through. They could just say, and only say.

Once, when I was walking back home from school, I encountered that very familiar person's car in the way; she was going straight towards my home. I raced with the car, and got home first, since there was lot of traffic on road, something so usual in Delhi.

I hurriedly changed into a red t-shirt and denim Capri, and cleaned the living room, for I knew someone was coming. I didn't want anyone to witness the mess made in my living room, especially someone who was here straight from Japan. And then the bell rang.

I opened the door and genuinely smiled after a long time. "Hello Miwa ma'am!" I welcomed the lady into my house. She wore a formal looking shirt underneath her black coat, and black pants with black pencil heels. She hugged me and I hugged her back, loving the scent or roses that came from her.

"Hello dear! How have you and your family been?" She asked. Family? Oh, they are doing well in heaven, I suppose.

I was taken aback, shocked to know that she didn't know about their demise. I answered her in a low voice with a sad smile on my face, "They... um, passed away?" She dropped the bags that were in her hands. "What!" she definitely didn't know this.

I helped her to a sofa and told her about the accident and my life after it. She stayed in complete silence and listened to me with patience, a look of gloom pasted on her face throughout. After I completed, she embraced me, and said, "You've gone through a lot, Sabrina. I didn't know any of this; otherwise, I would've come to you earlier. You are a strong, brave girl." She stroked my hair lovingly, "Don't lose yourself. Come back and embrace your own self."

"But how can I?" I asked, "I have no one to go to. I lost everything." I heard my voice crack.

"No dear." She sat back and thought for a few moments, and then declared, "I'll adopt you."

"Hah?!" I was surprised, and looked at her with wide eyes, while she smiled at me. "How can you? You live in Japan and I, here in India." I argued.

"Don't worry. You'll come and live with my sons in Japan."

"Japa- wait, you have sons?" I was surprised, once again, that day. She had sons? She looked like she was in her mid twenties. I went to the kitchen to have a glass of water, still recovering from these shocks.

"Oh yes I do. I have thirteen sons." I spit out my water. "Thirteen? Thirteen!" I exclaimed, surprised, again. She gently rubbed my back, "My my, are you okay?" She asked, her voice radiating concern for me. I was happy to know that I had someone who was genuinely concerned about me. Heck, she was ready to adopt me.

"But adopting me..." I said, but I couldn't find any words. I believed that the decision was not right. At least for her sons; I didn't intend to intervene in their life. I didn't want to be a bother to anyone. Plus, I could feel my subconscious shake its head at the decision.

"Then it's finalized – you will be adopted." She clapped her hands and declared. I refused, but she kept trying until I gave in. She was so stubborn!

"Fine, but do you think it would be easy to adopt me? I mean, getting the permission from India? The paperwork? And then your sons, would they accept me?" I asked, squinting my eyes to add more effect to my statement.

"Don't worry! I'll do it easily! And don't you worry! My boys are easily gonna accept you! I assure you! But before that, I need to inform them about this, so I better get going now." She picked up her stuff and walked out of the door. But before going, she turned and said, "Promise me that you will be happier now."

"I...I promise." I said and showed a small smile.

She went, and I went to my room. I sat in front of my dressing table, facing the huge mirror, and said, "Hello, Sabrina!" I made stupid faces, imitated Shah Rukh Khan by making his famous pose and saying out his dialogues in his style, and danced to some cheerful songs with all my heart. I had to accept what had happened, and move on. That was the only logical escape from my misery, I had realized.

I stopped, and looked at my reflection in the mirror, and said, "Come back, you idiot! Come back, papa's girl! Come back, you science failure! Come back, you dancer!" I laughed without a reason. I laughed so much that tears came into my eyes. I might've looked like a retard from outside, but trust me, that was the best therapy I could give myself. My kind of therapy.

After a while, I declared, "I'm back!" and smiled.

I immediately called my dance troupe members, "Hey there! Free for a rehearsal?"


	4. Chapter 4

Miwa right away booked a plane to go to her residence in Japan.

She reached her city late in the evening and after hours of sitting in an upright position, her back hurt. She boarded a taxi to travel back to her home, the Sunrise Residence. And boy, was she excited to meet her sons after months. She couldn't wait to see their cheerful faces again, and to surprise them with the news of their new possible family member. She desperately wished that her sons would take it nicely, and accept her; though she didn't have a doubt about most of them being quite supportive, the younger ones in the bunch could be reluctant.

The taxi stopped before a huge grey building. Miwa took the lift to the fifth floor, where usually all of her boys were supposed to be at the time. The door of the lift opened to reveal a full dining table, except for a few seats vacant. She noticed Yuusuke, Hikaru, Fuuto, and Natsume weren't there in the room. She walked in, and the sound of her walking in heels caught the attention of everyone in the room. "Hey boys! I'm here!"

"Mom!" Her youngest son, Wataru, ran towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She ruffled his salmon-colored hair. "How have you all been?"

"What a surprise to see you today!" Kaname, the third eldest said, and the others agreed.

"We're all good here. What about you?" Her eldest son, Masaomi, asked her, escorting her to an empty seat on the dining table. "I've been about fine too. Just noticed a few wrinkles on my face today!" She chuckled.

"Anyway, I have some announcement, boys." She got everyone's attention. "You will be getting a new sister very soon!" She happily said, earning stunned expressions from everyone at the table, except the youngest. He jumped in joy. "I'll be getting a new sister! Yay, I'm going to be a big brother!"

"Whom did you marry?" Ukyo, her second son, asked, fixing his glasses.

Miwa realized what she had said a second later, then laughed and said, "Oh no, you are getting the wrong idea! I'm adopting a girl." With this, a few of them breathed an air of relief, and this time Tsubaki, her fifth son, jumped and exclaimed, "A sister! How old is she? How does she look? Is she-"

"Calm down, Tsubaki." Azusa, Miwa's sixth son and Tsubaki's twin, said and made his twin brother sit back on his chair, who was still beaming with excitement.

"Why such a decision all of a sudden?" Asked Subaru, the ninth brother, looking thoughtful on his part.

"Well," Miwa sighed, her smile vanishing in an instant, "Her father was my colleague. Her family recently died in a car accident. She's only seventeen now; I couldn't see her so broken as she was now. Though she promised me that she wouldn't be that sad, I felt the urge to adopt her. She is the ideal daughter I always wanted." She searched her phone for Sabrina's photograph, and successfully got one, in which she was pouting and winking. She passed her phone to the middle of the table, showing the picture to her sons.

"Sabrina is a very sweet girl. It's fun to be with her." She described," I didn't have a better photo, sorry."

"Look! Onee-chan is so cute!" Wataru exclaimed, along with Tsubaki. "When is she coming?" He asked.

"Well, the paperwork isn't done yet. I came here to ask your consent. Yes?" She said.

"Of course. We trust your decisions, mom." Masaomi stated, and everyone else nodded in response – Subaru seeming a tad reluctant with the idea, though.

"Well, I would be very happy if one of you could go to India to meet with her this week. She doesn't know any of you. In fact, your birth was news to her!" She chuckled, "You would also be familiar with her that way. And she knows how to speak Japanese, F-Y-I."

The males thought for a moment, and a couple of minutes later, Masaomi spoke up, "I think I should go to meet her."

"That's what I was thinking. You are the eldest and you should go." Miwa agreed.

"Anyone interested in accompanying me?" He asked. Tsubaki and Wataru rose from their seats, ready to go. Masaomi denied Wataru's request, since he had to attend school, while Azusa reminded Tsubaki of their important recording session in the week. Both of them sulked and pouted, the younger one still whiny.

"I think you should come, Ukyo."

"I wouldn't be able to, since no one here knows how to cook food." Ukyo said.

"I guess I'm free this week." Louis said, after checking his schedule.

"Great then!" Miwa said, and Masaomi nodded in approval.

"And who can take the responsibility to tell the others about this?" She asked, and Tsubaki said, "Leave it up to me, mom."

He rose from his seat to contact his brothers about Sabrina, except Yuusuke, the eleventh one. He knew it very well that Yuusuke was shy around girls, and even the thought of having a girl at home would freak him out. He thus wanted to see his reaction, and giggled to himself picturing the scene when Yuusuke would unexpectedly meet a girl at home. His predictable red face amused Tsubaki! Hehe, this is going to be fun! He thought before he announced that he had informed everyone.

O~O~O

Sabrina's POV

"It's great to see you like this again!" Priyanka, my dance troupe member, said and I smiled back at her. Two hours had passed since I invited my troupe over for rehearsal. We had taken a water break, and were all sweaty and tired. I received a message from Miwa ma'am that her sons had agreed for the adoption and the paperwork would be done within the same week. Also that two of her sons would be visiting me. It meant that it would be my last week in India.

I sighed and took a deep breath, and announced, "Attention, guys! I'm being adopted, and will be sent off to Japan. This is sorta... my last week here..." I said the last part sheepishly, watching the shock slowly come to life on their faces.

Complete silence.

"Guys...?" Did I say something wrong? Or break the news too early? That silence with them seemed foreign.

"And this is when you chose to tell us? Now? Really?" Priyanka skeptically asked, flailing her arms around to express her exasperation.

"Honestly, I just came to know about this. Can't do anything!" I shrugged.

"Are you going? Like, forever?" One of them asked, and I nodded. "Don't worry! I won't be gone forever! I'll pay you all frequent visits. My soul won't get off your back so easily!" We all laughed, and came together for a group hug.

These are the moments I'm gonna miss...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, gonna put the brothers in the next chapter


	5. Chapter 5

Narrator's POV

Masaomi, Louis, and Miwa were leaving for India the next noon, with Wataru whining for not being taken along.

"Don't worry Wataru! Your sister will be here in a few days." Masaomi explained to Wataru.

"But please come back soon. I'll miss you." Wataru innocently said, and Miwa made an 'Aww!' sound. They boarded their flight, and left Japan. "So, what's the plan when we go there?" Masaomi asked.

"Well, I'll be going to do the paperwork and you and Louis will go to Sabrina's house with a trusted tourist guide. He knows me and Sabrina too."

They reached at six in the evening, and the trio was joined by the tourist guide whom Miwa mentioned. He was called Mr. Kumar. He was tall and his skin was tanned, and wore a dark colored suit, but the coat was hung on his arm. The males then sat in Kumar's car and departed to go to Sabrina's house.

"I know, I know, the weather here is warmer, compared to that of Japan." Kumar chuckled, as he noticed the other two relieved as soon as he turned on the air conditioner of the car.

"Yes, we are not used to this weather." Louis replied.

"Welcome to India, then." He then began telling them a bit about himself and Delhi.

"May I ask, how do you know Sabrina?" Masaomi asked, out of curiosity. Kumar smiled and replied, "I was her father's close friend. I know a lot about her and her family as well."

O~O~O

Sabrina's POV

I came to know that my two brothers, Masaomi and Louis, were arriving today. I thus began cleaning my house. By the time it was all done, it was already five in the evening. I took a shower and dressed up in a black knee- length dress, black stilettos, and pinned my hair to the side. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, grinned and said, "Oh, so you're now miss sophisticated, huh?"

Hehe, as if.

Just at that moment, I heard loud sound of music bursting from the backside of my house. I opened the window to see a stage set up, with music loudly playing and a few people dancing on the fragile-looking stage. The guy, who was dressed up as he was the host, announced after the dance ended, "Looks like no one has the courage to win this dance competition to win these five thousand rupees." And waved his hand in which he was holding the money. Dance competition?

I received a call from Priyanka, asking if I was interested in performing on stage.

"Well, that's what I was thinking!" I replied, "Call the others!" And I hung up the phone.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror again, this time to say, "Goodbye miss sophisticated!"

O~O~O

Narrator's POV

Kumar's car pulled up in front of Sabrina's house. They got to her door but it was locked. "Where can she be now? Wasn't she informed that you were coming?" Kumar asked Masaomi and Louis.

"I believe she was. That's what mom told us." Louis said.

That's when Kumar heard the announcement in hindi, "Participants, beware! Here we have our all time favorite – The Phantoms!"

"She'll be there!" Kumar said, and lead the other two along with him to behind her house from where the music came.

He was right – there she was on the stage, the lead dancer, performing ghetto while wearing stilettos with her troupe of eight. "That's your sister." Kumar pointed to Sabrina, who didn't notice their presence. The brothers too, recognized her. And may I say, they were quite impressed with her dance skills.

The dance ended soon, and the winners were declared, since there was no one else to dance after them. Of course, the winner was The Phantoms, because their dance style was unique, unlike the rest. While her team was busy celebrating and hugging each other for the win, Sabrina noticed Kumar, and two new figures. They definitely don't belong to India. Could they be... Sabrina raced to meet them.

"Hello!" She bowed before them, and introduced herself, "This is Sabrina."

"Hello. I am Masaomi, the eldest son."

"And I am Louis, the eighth son."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." She said and smiled.

The second she said that, another young woman came and embraced her from the side. "You won!" Sabrina immediately recognized her voice. "Riya!" It was her cousin, who was three years older than her.

Riya pulled away. She sported round glasses with jeans and a yellow buttoned shirt. "I knew you would win. Who are these guys, by the way?" She said as she looked at the two brothers.

"Well, they're gonna be my brothers." Sabrina said. Riya was aware that she was being adopted.

They all walked over to her house, and she ushered them into the living room. She excused herself to freshen up. While Kumar received a phone call from his boss, and he too excuse himself, Masaomi, Louis, and Riya sat on the sofa in complete silence. She looked at both of them, and blushed, then looked at them again, and blushed again. Masaomi and Louis looked at each in confusion, still not letting the smile plastered on their faces slip off. But the situation did seem awkward, and definitely strange.

Riya looked at them again, and this time, she blushed so hard that she hid her face in her hands and ran to Sabrina's room, leaving the other two perplexed.

Sabrina was wiping her face, when Riya broke into her room and exclaimed in a low voice, "Your brothers are so hot! I can't stop blushing!" Sabrina sighed and face palmed.

"Arnav was your cousin since he was my brother, right?" Sabrina explained, even though mention of her dead brother caused slight pain in her chest, "Similarly, as these guys are going to be my brothers, they will be your cousins. So, flush all those weird thoughts, okay?"

Riya pouted, "You know how to piss off anyone." At this, Sabrina chuckled, and said, "I love to piss you off. Your reaction is the cutest!" She then dragged her pouting cousin with her into the living room, where the two Asahinas had been waiting.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Sabrina said and sat on the sofa parallel to those on which the brothers were sitting. "Where's Mr. Kumar?" she asked.

"He had to answer a phone call. He's probably in the balcony." Masaomi answered.

The three started talking about themselves; their interests, hobbies, occupations, while Riya just sat there, beside Sabrina, understanding nothing since she didn't understand Japanese. She yawned several times, before she drifted off to sleep. No one noticed her sleeping, till the time she began snoring.

The trio looked at Riya, her head hung as if it was about to detach itself from her neck and fall off. Sabrina shook her arm and she woke up with a start. When she gained consciousness, her face turned red as ever, and she excused herself to go back to her own home.

"Sorry for that. She's a sleepyhead." Sabrina apologized for the third time that day, receiving an "It's okay" as a response.

They continued talking about the Asahina brothers.

"So, how is it living with so many brothers? I mean, I was brought up with only one, so I don't know how it's gonna be." She asked.

Masaomi replied, "It's entertaining. You can never get bored living in a house full of twelve other brothers, who end themselves up in some or the other trouble successfully every once in a while. You can never feel lonely, even if you want to."

"Yes," Louis added, "The youngest whines most of the time, another four, cannot stop teasing you, the other two, always getting embarrassed after being teased, and the rest of us, enjoying the show to the fullest." The three chuckled.

Kumar came inside with an ear to ear smile on his lips, and said, "Congratulations! You are officially siblings now. The paperwork was successful."

"That's great! Well, looking forward to take you with us to our home." Masaomi said.

"Even I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of the brothers." She happily said. They eventually had to go to a hotel, since it was late evening, and were informed that they would be leaving the next evening.

The last part came as a shock to Sabrina, because she wasn't expecting that she would be leaving India so soon. She needed time to prepare herself for a whole new journey ahead of her, and she wasn't just ready yet.

O~O~O

Sabrina's POV

When the guys left, I removed my stilettos and threw them on the ground, and gently massaged my feet. I wasn't used to wearing these heels and stuff, plus, I danced wearing these. All this time, I just prayed that my feet don't break and my ankles don't twist. It was the only pair of heels I had, since I found shoes more comfortable than those super-girly stilettos.

But I was more interested in roaming around my house that day, since I knew that I would be leaving it the next. And who knows when I'll be able to come back?

I entered my parents' room. It was as plain as ever, just the cupboards, the lamp kept on the nightstand and the photo frames on the walls. But it was the place where my parents stayed for about nineteen long years. Simple as ever, but the unforgettable memories were bubbling up from every corner of the chamber.

Next, I moved to Arnav's room. It was still the way I decorated it when he was supposed to come back from his boarding school. Sure enough, he never came. The posters were still on the walls, a few dust particles resting on the family photo frame, and the gift still on that bed, untouched.

I went to my room. Each of its nooks was crammed with memorable gifts collected over the years, the cupboard against the wall, with half of it filled with clothes, and the other half with old cassettes, photo albums, birthday cards, and more gifts.

The drawers in the dressing table on the adjacent wall had some of my mother's cosmetics, since I was fond of make up when I was young. She never bothered to take them back. In fact, she was fully satisfied with me taking her cosmetics and applying them on my face – she was glad that I could still be a girl after acting tomboyish all the time!

At last, the living room. The long counter had the miniatures of the wonders of the worlds sitting on it, accompanied by the awards I and Arnav had won. The little hall had the memories of our family get together, everyday dinners and the chit chat that came free with it, and birthdays. My seventeen birthdays.

The house was filled with memories that were to be remembered forever; the laughter, the tears, the cheers, and the gossips. It contained Arnav's cries when he first entered the house in my mother's arms. It contained the little drops of blood when I first scraped my knee. It contained the cheers from my family when I won my first dance competition. I contained the smell of my family's corpses.

It was like a gold casket, in which these treasures, called memories, were stored for eternity.

My presence shall always be felt here.


	6. Chapter 6

Narrator's POV

Miwa informed the others that she wouldn't be able to accompany them to Japan, since she had an important meeting in New York City all of a sudden. She thus booked a flight for New York City, muttering how inefficient people were at work.

Sabrina was ready to go and meet the rest of the brothers. Full packed in black colored jeans and checkered white and red shirt, she sported red canvas shoes and put her brown hair up in a tight high-ponytail.

Just to be the weird girl she was, she took a selfie with her messy room. Emotions, dude!

With a heavy heart, Sabrina left a few memorable things back at her home, for the sake of not going insane with the weight limit for belongings allowed at airports.

A few things? Nah, she almost left all of her belongings there. Ranging from old cards and folders to useless stuff – with the exception of a couple of albums and tapes – she left them all in her apartment, just to not overwhelm her new family with the amount of luggage she was carrying.

She sent a flying kiss in her house's direction before locking its main door. She descended down the stairs to board the taxi waiting for her behind her building, when she encountered her dance troupe waiting for her, tears brimming in a few pairs of eyes.

"Guys...I'll miss you..." and with that, her lovely group enveloped her in a big, tight group hug. The all stood in the same position until Sabrina's phone rang. It was a call from the taxi driver to remind her that he had been waiting for ten minutes.

They took a sorrowful leave of each other, with Sabrina promising to come back very soon.

"Goodbye, India," Sabrina whispered as the plane took off, with her on the window seat. Louis sat beside her, and beside him, Masaomi.

She wondered how her family would be like. Will they accept her? How will their attitude be towards her? Louis and Masaomi had already told her the brothers' names and explained their personalities. Yes, it took a few minutes to absorb the information, but the family seemed appealing.

However, the anxiousness was still there. Why wouldn't it be? She was going to meet a family of thirteen for the first time.

Ah, let me rephrase that. She was going to meet her family members for the first time.

Chill, they would accept you. She kept repeating this until she fell asleep.

O~O~O

Sabrina's POV

I woke up by the sound of the plane landing. I rubbed my eyes and looked out of the window to realize that we had reached Japan. We took out our luggage and proceeded to exit the airplane. We descended down the eight flights of steps of the plane and entered the airport.

It was daytime in Japan, probably around ten in the morning. The airport was more crowded as compared to Indian airports. We walked through it to reach the place where the cars and taxis were waiting for their customers.

"There they are!" said Masaomi, and lead us to the place where he perhaps saw the brothers waiting.

It's time! I inhaled and exhaled before following him to the car. Leaning on the car were two almost identical men. Everything about them seemed similar, except for the fact that one of them had white hair and had his bangs falling over his right eye, and the other one had black hair covering his left eye. Oh, the dark-haired guy had spectacles too. I noticed that both of them had violet eyes – it was a rare eye color, and I knew right away that these guys were somewhat special.

Before we could approach them, the white-haired guy jumped forward and embraced me. "It's nice to meet you, little sister!~" he whispered in my ear. I returned his embrace back with one of the hand gently tapping on his back, while my other hand held my luggage. Had it been some other random guy hugging me like that, he would've gotten a bruised eye in five seconds.

"Tsubaki, enough!" The dark-haired guy said, and punched 'Tsubaki' on his head, resulting in Tsubaki loosening his grip on me. I just hoped that the punch didn't hurt much.

"Aw Azusa! That did hurt!" Tsubaki faked the hurt expression as he rubbed the back of his head where Azusa punched him.

I proceeded to introduce myself. I smiled and said, "Hello, I'm Sabrina. Your... new sister?"

"Hello, then. I'm Azusa, and this is my brother, Tsubaki." Azusa said, pointing to Tsubaki.

"Are you guys twins?" I blurted out. That's quite obvious, idiot. I inwardly sighed.

"Yes we are! I'm the elder one, and he's my naïve little bro." Tsubaki said and threw his arms around his twin's shoulder. "Identical twins." Louis told me about the twins. The fifth and the sixth sons.

Louis received a text message and excused himself to go to his work. Work? Ah, hairdresser! He told me the day before. The brothers helped me to load the luggage in the car, and we sat in the vehicle. I sat behind the driver's seat with Masaomi sitting beside me. Azusa drove the car.

I rolled down the window and looked out to see high-rise buildings and loads of people. Even though the place was civilized enough, it didn't miss the greenery. As we took another turn to enter the residential area's street, the number of maple trees and cherry blossoms increased. The street was calm as ever, giving the perfect atmosphere to reside. Another turn and the car stopped.

"We are here." Masaomi said and exited the car, and I did the same.

"Whoa!" I whispered to myself, looking at the building in front of which we were standing. It looked like it had about five-to-six floors. It was a tall building made up of grey marble stones, top two floors illuminated by huge glass windows in diamond shapes. The sides of the building were decorated by numerous colorful flower beds and cherry blossoms.

"You guys live here?!" I asked, astonished. My eyes were still fixed on the tall structure standing in front of me.

"Yes." Azusa simply answered. He must've seen how I flabbergasted was watching their house, so he asked, "How is it?"

"It is very much like my dream house. Am I going to live here?" I asked, like the stupid one I was, just in case.

"Yes you are!" Tsubaki said, grabbed my hand, and pulled me with him as he brisk-walked towards the entrance.

We got inside the elevator, and Azusa explained, "We have given the first two floors on rent, so the thirteen of us live on the top three floors." He said and clicked the button for fifth floor.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a platform connected to some stairs, which lead to a large, spacious living room. In the centre of the hall were sofas around two coffee tables, facing a huge television. There was also a dining table near it, with another television, and a kitchen nearby. We descended down the stairs. Huge window illuminated the hall, other than the lights, of course. I twirled around and had a complete look of the room. The atmosphere was comfortable.

"Are you Sabrina?" A male's voice said from behind me. I turned to face him. He had his hair in a light shade of blonde, neatly arranged, and wore rimless spectacles. He was dressed in formal, just the coat replaced by an apron. Hmm. Disciplined enough!

"Yes. Pleased to meet you." I said and bowed.

"I'm Ukyo, the second son." He too, bowed.

"Well well, looks like we already have our little imouto-chan with us!~" Another man with slightly darker blonde hair, dressed in some traditional Japanese attire, came from somewhere.

"Hello, I'm Sabrina." I introduced myself. He held my hand and kissed it, "Pleasure to meet you, imouto-chan." I blushed a bit, since no one had dared to do that before. The boys in my previous class once tried to do this, and the next thing they knew was that they had a broken nose. Since this blondie was my older brother, and preferably more handsome, I let it slide.

Ukyo sighed and said, "He's Kaname, the third eldest son." Third eldest... monk, right?

"Ah, what's with all this, Kana-nii? You brought another girl with you?" A very familiar voice spoke from the platform above us. Wait, what...

I looked above to see that redhead Yuusuke leaning on the doorjamb, looking at me. His eyes slowly widened, and the next moment, he was standing in front of me, saying, "No... Sabrina!"

"Dude, don't tell me that you came down the stairs this quickly. Either you teleported or you fell down." I remarked, looking straight into his eyes. Is he your new brother?

"How can you be here?" He said, or more like shouted. I could see he was in a state of incredulity.

"Wait. Is your last name Asahina?" He nodded.

I smiled and exclaimed, "Hey! I'm your new sister then!" He looked at me in disbelief.

"You're joking, aren't you?"

"Yuusuke, Sabrina, you both know each other?" Masaomi asked, and I nodded.

"Oh yes. We have been friends since I-don't-remember-how-long on Skype." I responded.

"So our tsundere brother has at least one girl as a friend?~" Tsubaki teased Yuusuke in a sing-song voice, who turned bright red.

"But why wasn't I informed of this?" He argued, and Tsubaki averted his eyes to the ceiling.

Ukyo asked, "Tsubaki, didn't you inform Yuusuke?"

"Seems like I forgot to tell him." Tsubaki said, completely relaxed, and seemingly satisfied with the turn of events.

Yuusuke fumed, "H-how could you!" He stomped towards him, but Tsubaki grabbed him by his shoulders and dragged him somewhere. Azusa sighed at the site, and shook his head.

We once again heard the sound of the elevator, and two more figures came down to the hall – one of a tall, handsome man with strong built and short black hair, and the other one was a little boy with salmon hair, whose eyes lit up as soon as he saw me and Masaomi. Both of them were sweating.

The little boy ran towards Masaomi and hugged him, "Masa-nii! You're back!" I tried hard not to let out an 'Aww!'

He then looked towards me and said, "Is she onee-chan?" Masaomi nodded. The cutie then ran to me and bowed, "I'm Wataru. Nice to meet you, onee-chan."

I kneeled down to face him, smiled, and said, "I'm Sabrina. It's nice to meet you too, sweetheart."

"Would you like to see my Usa-tan?" he innocently asked.

"Who is Usa-tan?"

"He's my teddy bear that Masa-nii gave me." He replied. For a moment, I was taken aback. He was just like Arnav.

"He's ten years old, the youngest." Masaomi said, waking me up from my thoughts - again a similarity. I stood back on my feet.

I looked at the other one. He was way taller than me. Damn, and you really thought you were tall, Sabrina! I once again introduced myself, "I'm Sabrina, your new sister."

He blushed. For no reason. "Hi." He said and walked off.

"He's Subaru, the ninth son." Kaname explained. While I was still looking in Subaru's direction, wondering what the heck just happened, when Wataru exclaimed, "Fuuto-nii's on TV!"

I came to face the television screen to see a young guy perform some pop song. We all sat down on the sofas in front of the TV. Some of them had a bored expression on their faces. It looked like they were forced to watch his performance.

The guy stopped performing for a few seconds to wink and strike poses, and to address his fan girls. His ultra-shiny outfit glimmered in the neon lights of his concert. I squinted my eyes to adjust to the brightness level – she was just plainly shining, like Edward from Twilight.

"That fake smile." Tsubaki commented, tightly clutching the cushion he was holding.

"And those dance moves. A toddler can dance better than him." Azusa too, commented.

Nothing great about the dance moves, really. I entered my judge-mode. The song was good enough, I was thinking of downloading it, but the dance moves weren't that impressive.

"That is Fuuto, the twelfth son. Fuuto Asakura is his stage name." Kaname said.

Yuusuke shrieked, "I don't think he is singing; he is just shouting!" He turned down the volume.

So, these are one, two, three... ten brothers. "Where are the rest three?" I asked, out of the blues.

"One of them is at the library, and the other two are out of town." Masaomi answered.

I looked at all of them one by one. These guys were my new family. The fact of having ten older brothers was still Greek to me, since I had always been the elder one and had no elder sibling. And there I was, with ten older brothers, one of my age, and two younger ones.

"Sabrina?" Masaomi said.

"Yes?" I responded.

"I hope you are comfortable with all of us." I smiled and nodded, and the others looked at us.

"This is your new home, and you can do whatever you want. Just don't be shy, since mom told me you aren't like the shy one you are being now." You got it, dude!

"Well..." I tucked a strand of hair falling on my face behind my ear, "I can be a total pain, 'cause I am like an untamed wild animal, and all this time I was trying to behave normal, so that at least you guys can classify me as a human." They laughed.

"We would be happy if our imouto-chan shows us her real side." Kaname said.

"Seriously? Don't blame me afterwards!" I said and threw my arms in the air as if to surrender.

"You guys are so welcoming!" I said and smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Sabrina's POV

Masaomi and Ukyo showed me my room on the fourth floor. It had light-pink colored walls, and a huge glass window, from where I had the view of the flower garden. My bed was placed against a wall, and a study desk and a cupboard against the opposite wall. It was smaller than my previous room, but it looked more spacious since the previous one since it was crammed with 'memories'.

"It's great." I said. Masaomi told me that they had kept a map of the house on my desk. Then they exited the room, shutting the door behind them. I looked at the map. I got to know that Tsubaki, Azusa, Wataru, Masaomi, and Ukyo had their rooms on the same floor.

I threw myself on the bed. It was comfortable. No shit Sherlock.

The room somehow looked empty to me. Maybe because all my life, I had lived in a messy room? The walls were empty, and thankfully, I had carried a few Shah Rukh Khan and MJ posters with me.

I decided to stick their posters on the walls and put my clothes in the cupboard.

(Ten. Minutes. Later.)

"It's done!" I proudly said, looking at the condition of my room. The walls looked pretty. Well... maybe not the cupboard.

Definitely not the cupboard.

My clothes were sticking out the closed doors of the poor cupboard. All thanks to me – I just threw them inside.

I opened the door of the cupboard, intending to keep the properly. The second I opened it, all the clothes oozed out of it. I breathed out a hard sigh.

Thus, I wasted the next few hours arranging my clothes.

O~O~O

I sat on the bed and removed my shoes. I hadn't even bothered to take them off since I came here. My laptop and music system were placed on the desk, and my clothes were safely kept inside the cupboard, with no danger of them oozing out like the previous time.

I heard a knock on the door. "It's open." I said, getting up from the bed. Tsubaki burst in the room, followed by Azusa.

"Hello there!" I said, and Tsubaki again hugged me.

"Give her some space, Tsubaki!" Azusa scolded. Then they took a better view of the room. "Isn't that Michael Jackson?" Tsubaki asked.

"Yes he is!" I exclaimed, "I'm a huge fan!"

"And who's that guy?" He said, pointing to Shah Rukh's poster. Of course they don't know. "He is a fabulous actor. I'm his fan too." I replied.

"Well, we came here to call you for the dinner." Azusa said. I looked at the clock, and it showed eight pm. This early!

"Do you guys, err, eat dinner at this time every day?" I asked, not wanting to hold back the curiousness.

"Oh yes we do. Don't you?" Tsubaki asked. Both of them had confusion evident on their faces.

"Umm... we generally eat at nine or so." I replied.

"That's too late. Would you be able to adjust?" Azusa asked.

I simply nodded, just not to be a bother, and said, "Sure! No worries, buddy." We then proceeded to take the elevator and go to the next floor. I knew that one way or another, I would get accustomed to their timings and schedules, so why not make an effort right there?

"It's gonna be hard to remember the rooms." I said, wanting to strike up a conversation. I was a talkative one; I needed something to talk about all the time, and I couldn't have gotten a better opportunity than there on the spot.

"No, it's easy! You can come to me anytime if you need any help~" Tsubaki said in a sing-song voice and earned a smack from Azusa. I giggled.

"You don't find this annoying?" Azusa asked.

I smiled and replied, "No. In fact, it's refreshing to be in this atmosphere again." Tsubaki wrapped an arm around my shoulders and declared, "Seems like we're gonna get along well."

I grinned and said, "Likewise." We reached the floor and got out of the elevator with a very happy Tsubaki. I stalked over to the kitchen to find Ukyo preparing dinner. I didn't know that he was the one who cooked; I definitely hadn't seen that coming.

"Good evening, have you prepared all this alone?" I asked with uncertainty in my voice as I looked at the delicious large bowls of food, steam hovering over them.

"'Evening, and yes I have." He said and smiled.

"You could've called me, and I would've helped you, Ukyo-san." I genuinely said, and I could've that I had seen a hint of surprise on his face for a mere moment, before he asked; "Do you know how to make Japanese food?"

I rubbed the back of my head and sheepishly said, "No, but I can learn how to do that. What is the internet for?" He grinned and resumed working, as I insisted to help him.

"Then, you can place the cutlery on the table the same way I have placed those two." He pointed to the two sets at the end of the table, "Sorry I couldn't place all of them as I had to look into all this." He said, referring to the food.

"Oh it's completely fine! I'll just go and do this." I said and started placing the utensils on the long dining table. Before I could finish that, a pair of tiny arms wrapped around my waist, and along with them came a little voice, "Onee-chan!"

I turned around to see the excited little Wataru smiling up at me. "So, how're you doin'?" I bent and asked. Nice try, Joey Tribbiani.

"Good. Did you like your room?" He innocently asked.

"Very much. Thanks for asking that." I said and ruffled his hair. I then saw Yuusuke, Subaru, Louis, and Kaname descending down the stairs.

"Good evening!" I bowed and greeted them all.

"Y-yeah..." Yuusuke said. Is he still pissed off?

"Sup." I heard a faint reply from a blushing Subaru. Why's he blushing again?

Louis smiled nodded to let me know that he had acknowledged me. "Good evening, imouto-chan~ How are you feeling now?" Kaname asked with his flirty smile. I could see that he and Tsubaki were almost on the same line.

"Great! How about you, Kaname-san?" I politely asked.

"I'm good after seeing my lovely imouto-chan." He was clearly coaxing me, but I still felt a comfortable air around him. There was another issue about me – I come to trust people easily. It could sometimes prove to be a setback, but most of the time, it made me get along with people really quick. Like now, with Kaname, and all the others. Brothers were meant to protect, and even after spending lesser than a day with them, I believed that he wouldn't hurt me in any way.

"Stop with your dirty acts, Kaname." I heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the top of the stairs. I turned my head to look there and saw a man with silver-platinum hair and princely-looking face descending down the stairs. He wore a flawless white uniform, and he gently stalked up to us, keeping his relaxed face, but a noticeable hint of scowl behind it.

Kaname introduced him to me, "And this is the tenth son, Iori."

I bowed and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Iori-san. I am your step-sister." He smiled and bowed too, with another, "Pleased to meet you, hope my brother hasn't disturbed you very much." With me replying, "Oh no, I really enjoy his company."

He exhibited polite manners and spoke in a rather sophisticated tone. It reminded me of one of those Disney princes, you know, Prince Charming?

The dinner was indeed delicious – I hadn't had that tasty food made by a man before, and I was impressed. But a question still lingered in my mind – even after being busy as a lawyer, does he always make the food for the brothers?

I collected the utensils and stalked over to the kitchen, where Ukyo was washing the dishes. "May I help you?" I asked.

"Oh no, thank you." He replied. I insisted but he only refused. It didn't look good to just stand like that and watch the person who must be busy as hell work. So, I began wiping the wet dishes. I then asked him, "Ukyo-san, do you make food for them every day?"

"Well, yes. I also do the rest of the household chores, like washing clothes." He simply stated, and my jaw dropped.

"But you are a lawyer, aren't you?" The words automatically escaped out of my mouth.

"Yes I am," he said, wiping his hands, "But because Masaomi is always busy in his work, and mom rarely visits us, it is my duty to take care of my younger brothers."

"You must be tired too. Don't you prefer getting any rest?" I kept asking like a curious child.

He chuckled and said, "But can't deny my responsibilities. After all, we only have twenty four hours in a day." That was enough to make me come to respect him even more. I held his hand and gently said, "No need to take so much stress from now. I can do the household chores, while you can concentrate on your work and get some time to relax yourself."

A tint of redness appeared on his cheeks, and he said, "But you too, will be having a setback now, since you have to adapt to your new surroundings and catch up at school." I admit, I had completely forgotten about school, so that was a reminder.

"Don't worry; I'll be able to manage all that. I'm basically jobless!" I reassured him. He thought for a moment, and finally declared, "Okay, I won't put the entire burden on your shoulders, but you can help me."

I stepped back and saluted, "Just right, sir! When should I report tomorrow?"

He chuckled and said, "Six thirty tomorrow morning." Who wakes up this early?! My hand slowly lowered, and I gave him a smile that said, "It's good!" But honestly, I wasn't used to waking up that early. If I had to report at six thirty, then I would definitely have to get up at five thirty because of my habit of dancing in the shower.

He must've read my weird expression, since I was busy making up my schedule in my mind when he interrupted, "Is it too early?"

"Uh, no. Not at all, I mean."

He smiled and said, "There's no need to force yourself, Sabrina." I nodded.

"Well, not at all, it's just that I'm a bit of a heavy sleeper..." I sheepishly said. Heavy sleeper? Hah, no way. You do nothing but sleep.

Before he could say anything else, I said, "I'll be there." That's when Wataru came running form behind and tuuged on to my t-shirt. "Oh, hello Wataru!" I greeted him.

"Hello, onee-chan! Would you like to see Usa-tan?" He enthusiasitically asked. Well, that's cute!

"Of course, I'd love to!" I said, and he took me by my hand to his room.

We entered his room, and it was filled with toys. He had a lamp in shape of a teddy bear on his study table, and his bed had all kinds of fluffy stuff toys sitting on it. It resembled Arnav's room a bit, but I brushed that thought away. He showed me a blue teddy bear which he called Usa-tan. I liked how neatly it had been stitched, and how soft it was. No wonder Wataru loved it!

He showed me many of his toys while we sat on his bed, and the matress was extra-comfy. To add to the comfort, we had stuff toys all around it. We both soon felt dizzy, and he fell asleep while I stroked his hair; I barely caught myself from falling asleep. I looked at the wall-clock and realized that it was late. I had to return to my own room.

I tip-toed out of his room, and slowly closed the door behind me. I proceeded to go to my own room, and realized that I had forgotten where my room was. And me being the stupid me, I didn't bother to take the maps with me. Congratulations! Now celebrate!

"Shut up..." I said to my thoughts. They hardly ever helped me. Ha, you can't stop me!

"Wait, what?" I asked myself in a low voice. This was ridiculous! Yeah, baby, you've gotta spend the night here in the hallway.

"Oh please, I can search for my room by going through the floors." I retorted. Absolutely! You really confirmed me that you are a schmuck! So, you plan on going to each one's room, saying ,"Pee-ka-boo!" Intelligent.

"You just-" I began, but someone interupted, "What is our imouto-chan doing here at this time of the night?" It was Kaname.

"Oh, like, yes, I just... forgot where my room was..." I said, and he offered to take me to my room, which I willingly accepted.

At least thank him! We had reached the entrance of my room, and I hadn't even thanked him. I unlocked the room with a key, while he stood behind me. I turned to thank him, "Thank you, Kaname-san. If you weren't there, I would've ended up sleeping in the hallway."

He smirked, "You can always come to me if you need any help." He waited a moment before he spoke up, "New room, huh? Too scared to sleep alone? Want big brother to join you?" Wait, where did this come from?

"Certainly not." I simply replied, making sure that I didn't sound rude. He cupped one of my cheek in his strong hand, and passionately said, "Let's do it someday."

"Umm..." I wasn't sure how to answer that.

Then he leaned in and kissed my cheek, while I stood there like a dope, thinking "What the hell is happening?" He stood up straight, and said, "That was a good night's kiss. Good night, imouto-chan."

"Yeah, good night." He headed towards the elevator, and before going in, he said, "You can ask for more."

"No, thanks." And I walked into my own room. For a moment, my thoughts were like:

Wait, did a guy kiss you?

Stupid, you should've punched him in the face!

Like seriously, a good night's kiss?

You've gotta be kidding me.

But I then calmed myself down. "First of all, he is my brother who kissed me, and that too, on the cheek, so big deal!" So, I simply flushed all my thoughts. Without any further ado, I went to sleep, afraid that I wouldn't be able to wake up on time next day.


	8. Chapter 8

Narrator's POV

The buzzing and ringing of her phone desperately tried to wake her up, but Sabrina was still in her unconscious state, floating in her fantasies. However, it didn't fail, as she soon began to stir. "Ah this stupid clock!" She said and put a pillow on her face, but was reminded of her last night's talk with Ukyo.

"...Bleh..." she slowly sat up, and ran her fingers through her tangled mess of hair she had long ago given up on. She took the sheets and toiletries with her and walked down the hallways, half awake. She stumbled again walls several times and said, "Oh, it's not the washroom." And continued walking.

She finally reached her destination in a single piece, and opened the door to reveal that tall guy with a towel wrapped around his waist and... okay, just a towel. Their eyes met for a second before she examined what he was wearing and turned. "Whoa! I'm... sorry" She was wide awake now.

"What happened?" He came to her, wondering what the hell happened to her.

"Um... you need clothes." She said, embarrassed.

"Ah, my bad!" He said and shut the door of the washroom. After he was decent, he came out and saw Sabrina waiting with her back pressed against a wall. As soon as she saw him, she immediately apologized, "I'm sorry for just breaking in like that."

"Uh, no. I-I mean, it's o-okay." He stammered.

Her face brightened up, "Do you always wake up this early?"

"Y-yes, for my basket ball practice."

"That's cool! I hope we can compete someday."

He was surprised, and he asked, wide-eyed, "You play basket ball?"

She exclaimed, "Of course I do! And football and track-and-field too. They're one of my favorites."

"Oh, nice." What else could he say? He was undoubtedly impressed. He had never encountered any girl who played these sports, but a certain one in her list of favorites reminded him of someone he disliked.

"You need to run fast, kiddo! You wanna be a pro or not?" – A flash of an old memory came rushing down to him.

Obviously, he didn't have anything else to say.

"Excuse me, then." She said and walked into the washroom.

Sabrina locked the washroom door and double-checked it. When she was sure that it was safe and locked, she sighed. "Well, that was awkward." She mumbled.

She stripped and went into the washroom, more than satisfied with the size of the bath they had. After she had a long, relaxing bath, she wrapped herself with a towel, and turned on the songs on her phone on shuffle. Everything was fine, until Michael Jackson's Beat It started blasting out of her phone.

Well, that was it.

She went crazy singing (rather shouting) out loud with the song and doing moonwalks and dancing. She lost the track of time and put the song on repeat. After the song had finished five times, her phone reminded her that it was six-thirty (she had set an extra alarm since she already knew this was going to happen) and she hurriedly changed into her clothes, which were her school uniform, and combed, and of course, muttered an apology to Michael Jackson for stopping his song in between.

"This uniform is comfy..." she said to herself, feeling the soft fabric on her body. It felt like it was stuffed with cotton, contrary to the uniform she had back in India.

She went down the stairs to find Ukyo already there. "I'm sorry for being late. I didn't hear the alarm" she lied, since she definitely couldn't tell him that she was dancing in the washroom like a maniac. She inwardly prayed that he hadn't heard the ruckus she had made in the washroom.

"It's absolutely fine. You can help me, though." He said, and Sabrina nodded. Both of them made a traditional, mouth-watering Japanese breakfast, and Sabrina was proud of her first attempt. She only hoped that the rest like it.

Soon, her much-awaited guests came down the stairs to the table.

"Good morning, onee-chan." Wataru said, rubbing his eyes.

"'Morning! Did you sleep well?" She bent as she asked the light-salmon haired boy.

"Yes, but did you?" He asked, and she nodded. She then saw the others descending down the stairs – the twins, Yuusuke, Subaru, Louis, and Masaomi.

"Kaname and Iori have already left. I just saw their messages." Ukyo informed her. Everyone said their greeting and took their seats, while she helped place the food on the table. Everyone tasted, and Sabrina held her breath and crossed her fingers under the table.

Right then, Ukyo announced, "Sabrina helped make food today. It's her first time making Japanese food." Everyone stopped eating.

"That's really good for a first try!" Tsubaki commented, and Azusa agreed, "Yes, sure it is."

"It tastes delicious, Sabrina" Masaomi appreciated.

"Indeed it is tasty." Louis too, praised.

"Yes! Onee-chan is a chef!" Wataru exclaimed.

"N-nice." Subaru said in a low voice.

"Yeah..." Yuusuke basically whispered.

"Thank you, guys. I just helped Ukyo-san. He is the real chef." Sabrina said, too happy with the remarks she had received. You can definitely try your hand at Italian food.

"And you can definitely shut up." She said in an inaudible voice.

Oh you wish!

"Not again..." She sighed. Sometimes this inner voice of hers - or as other call 'thoughts' – annoyed her. Her thoughts had a different brain altogether, but it was better than her own, so she preferred her thoughts. But these days, her thoughts were driving her crazy – like, asking her to smash an egg on her face while making the breakfast just a while ago. She liked to call it her 'mini-me', the more sarcastic side of hers.

"Is something wrong?" Masaomi asked, snapping her out of her conversation. There must have been some trace of annoyance on her face. "Uh, no. I was just... you know, wondering how the school will be like." She replied.

"Don't worry about that. Yuusuke will show you the school, and will be with you the whole time." At this, the redhead chocked on his food.

"What! Me?" He asked, horrified.

"Of course! Aren't you happy to stick with our little sister the whole time? If I were in your shoes, I would never leave this opportunity." Tsubaki teased, considering his tone, and the redhead grew red. What's with this red shade? His favorite color or what?

"But I, umm-"

"Dude, no questions, no arguments. I won't be exploring the school by myself on the first day. So, you're my guide for today. In return, I'll... um, uh, what can I do in return for you?" She asked, tapping a finger on her chin.

"You don't need to-"

"You can pretend to be his girlfriend." Tsubaki simply stated, while the redhead blushed furiously and the girl raised a brow, and a second later widened her eyes.

"You're telling me that this guy here doesn't have a girlfriend?" She asked, surprised.

"Nah he doesn't, because of his delinquent attitude." Azusa answered.

"Wha- where is this conversation going?" Yuusuke complained; his face couldn't get any redder.

"Then I know what I can do! You show me around the school, and I volunteer to help you find a girlfriend." She clapped her hands and had a bite of her breakfast; the rest gaped, except for Tsubaki who cheered, "That's like my sister!" Yuusuke wasn't in a state to say anything, his mouth only hung in astonishment. How ironic was this – the one whom he loved so much was going to find a partner for him.

"Then it's decided." Masaomi said, with a little amusement still in his voice.

"Uhm..." Wataru said in a slow voice, making everyone realize that he was still in the room, "Will onee-chan help me for that too?" Wow.

Their mouths hung open. To expect this from Wataru – this was new. Now even Sabrina wasn't in a state to say something. She just coughed, and suddenly Ukyo reminded, "I-it's time to go." Everyone left without another word.

O~O~O

"That was weird!" Sabrina exclaimed. She and Yuusuke were traveling in the train to go to their school, which was crowded with people just like any other day. Yuusuke was holding on to the railing with his one hand, while his other hand was protectively around Sabrina, though it didn't touch. She was holding Yuusuke's arm which held the railing.

"Yeah, sure it was." Yuusuke remarked.

"But you seriously don't have any girlfriend?" She asked again.

"Huh?! No!" he snapped, and averted his eyes. "But yeah, on second thoughts, you never even mentioned any girl on Skype. That was so stupid of me. Sorry." She slightly smacked her head, and smiled.

"It's okay. Well, h-how was your first night?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"It was good, thanks for your concern." She grinned.

"No I wasn't concerned!" He snapped, blushing, but regained his senses a moment later, "I-I mean, yes, like no, but yes, on some point, but actually-"

"I get it! You were concerned." She smirked, and he averted his eyes, "Mostly not..." He whispered, and she giggled.

O~O~O

They reached the school – it wasn't that magnificent, but appealing, to be precise – and the duo passed through groups of students hanging out, who soon noticed and stared at them – more at the new girl. As she observed the hallways and her new peers, she passed a simple smile. Some returned her the smile, while some kept staring as if they were exclusive pieces in an exhibition or animals at the zoo.

They reached their classroom, which was the same for both of them, entered and stalked over to Yuusuke's seat.

"That seat is empty." He pointed to the one beside him, and she kept her bag on it. There were many other empty seats too, but he intentionally told her for that specific seat, since it was beside him. He inwardly let out a victorious laugh, as if he had won some kind of competition.

But that was just the beginning.

"C'mon, let's explore the building." She asked, but he refused, "The class is about to begin in about five minutes. The teacher must be on her way."

"Okay... who's that girl?" She leaned with one arm on his shoulder and pointed at a platinum-blonde haired girl, who was right at that time making an eye contact with her.

"That's Imai Mahoko. She sits next to you." He replied. Mahoko approached her and greeted, "Hello, are you new here?"

"Yes I am. It's Sabrina Ka- Asahina." She was still used to saying 'Kapoor'. She stuck out her hand for a handshake.

"And this is Imai Mahoko. Nice to meet you." They both smiled at each other, while Yuusuke commented in the background, "You're real fast at making friends."

"You know him? Don't be offended but you don't look like you are a Japanese native." Mahoko asked, raising a brow.

Before Yuusuke could stop her, she spilled out, "Yeah, I'm his new sister." Mahoko stood agape. Just how many people are you gonna surprise today? The day has just started! Relax!

It all made sense to Mahoko now. Their last names were similar; the new girl was standing comfortably with Yuusuke, the tsundere boy who doesn't easily make friends.

Yuusuke only face palmed. Seeing her fellows' reactions, she genuinely asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Mahoko, just don't spread this news around. I don't want any rumors." Yuusuke pleaded, and it seemed suspiciously strange to Sabrina. This dude's acting strange... will a punch do good?

"Shut up, please!" She silently begged her inner self to not intervene at the wrong time. Just then, the bell rang, indicating that it was the time for the first slot. Many other students entered the class and began staring at her. Why are they looking at you as if you've committed a murder?

The teacher entered the next moment. Everyone stood up and greeted the brown-haired, thin teacher, who looked like she was in her late-twenties. "Good morning, class. I would like to introduce you all to a new student." She said and motioned Sabrina to come in front.

"Hello there, everyone! This is Asahina Sabrina, you new classmate. I hope we get along well." She said. You could've acted like a rock star or just said that you don't give a shit to them all. She inwardly face-palmed. Sound of murmur erupted in the classroom, and a few students looked in Yuusuke's way the second they heard the name 'Asahina'.

Later that day in the recess, when Mahoko and Sabrina were in the canteen, Yuusuke clarified it to his classmates that it was a co-incidence that their last names were same, and they were not related at all. It was to his relief when everyone accepted the fact that they weren't connected in any way. Of course, how could he hurt his delinquent reputation, just because he loved a girl, who was his... sister?

Things were complicated as hell for him.

O~O~O

"Sabrina-san, are you sure you don't want a tutor to help you cover up the topics you've missed?" Her teacher asked again.

"I'm sure, ma'am." Sabrina reassured.

"Fine, then. But if you face any difficulty in future, feel free to ask me."

"Sure ma'am, thanks for your concern." She bowed and joined Yuusuke and Mahoko who were waiting for her at the school gates. It had just been a day and all her classmates, especially Mahoko, had taken a liking to her already.

"Are you sure? Math is real hard." Mahoko asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna test myself if I can do this by myself or not." She replied.

"I can bet that you're gonna need a tutor."

"I hope not."

"Plus, I've heard that he's really hot! He's twenty one and has just joined the school. You better not miss this opportunity – girls are fawning over him already!" Mahoko exclaimed, and Sabrina rolled her eyes, "Do I look interested?"

Mahoko pouted, "Why, don't you like dating boys?"

"No, that's a waste of time."

"No crush?"

"Nah." At her answer, Yuusuke looked more than relieved.

"That's strange. I mean, any other girl has a crush on my boyfr- never mind." Sabrina and Yuusuke stopped and looked at Mahoko, who blushed red.

"You have a boyfriend?" Yuusuke exclaimed.

"Who is the lucky guy?" Sabrina asked and smirked as Mahoko grew ever redder.

"It's... Sasakura" She whispered, and Yuusuke's eyes shot wide open.

"Sasakura... the monitor, huh?" Sabrina asked, and Mahoko nodded.

"Sasakura – that playboy! Are you kidding me?" Yuusuke asked in disbelief.

"No, that's not true! He isn't a playboy at all! That is just to ruin his reputation." Mahoko protested. The rest of the way, Mahoko and Yuusuke argued if that Sasakura-guy was a playboy or not. While Yuusuke explained that he had broken many hearts, Mahoko stood firm on her point. Sabrina could only hope that Mahoko was right – she didn't want to see her heartbroken.

They reached the Sunrise Residence, and they argued till the time Sabrina and Yuusuke were inside the building. "I'm telling you he is a playboy!" Yuusuke came inside the lift saying this.

"Dude, Mahoko isn't anywhere here. It's just me. If you want, I can call him 'The Playboy'. Good?" She said and Yuusuke calmed down.


End file.
